Adventurer’s Guild (Chapter)
The Adventurer’s Guild is perhaps one of the strangest loyalist space marine chapters in existence. Founded in M34 during the 8th Founding from the gene seed of the Nemesis Chapter (which means they have Ultramarine lineage), though they have drifted greatly from their origins. Originally known as Marines of the Last Light they were created as a Fleet-Based Chapter who would support Rogue Trader fleets. This meant that the chapter itself would be divided up among many ships for prolonged periods of time. The evolved into a fragmented group of marines that focus on the smallest tactical unit- the squad. These squads, called “parties”, are expected to be self-sufficient, adaptable, and diverse so that they can meet any threat head on. History Founding Founded as “The Marines of the Last Light” in M34 as part of the 8th Founding the Adventurer’s Guild is a descendant of the Nemesis chapter and can trace it’s lineage back to the Ultramarines. For many years they were not made aware of who their lineage was and, to be honest, they have little veneration for the strict adherence to rules that most Ultramarines do so they they found out- they tossed a bit of blue on their banner and went about their business as usual. The circumstances of their founding was unique however- the Imperium saw a growing need for marine escorts aboard Rogue Trader ships. While they were superior to gardman detachments, having a devout marine compliment onboard would give the Imperium better insight (and perhaps control) over the Rogue Traders. Thus the The Marines of the Last Light were created to protect and report on the Rogue Traders they served. The Birth of the Adventurer’s Guild The chapter faced challenges that no other chapter ever had to. They were constantly separated and never knew what insane situation they’d find themselves in. One day they’d be providing an escort for a trader to deal with the Eldar and the next day they’d be carrying out a surgical strike on a Ork settlement to help them secure a precious mineral deposit so they reorganized themselves in the only way they could see themselves carrying out their missions. The smallest unit of organizations, squads, called “parties” now, were given the greatest level of autonomy and the normal “upper echelons” of organization were relegated to more of a support and organizational role. With this shift in thinking came a new name- they took the name the Rogue Traders had taken to calling them, the “Adventurer’s Guild”. Trophies The Chapter supports the notion of taking trophies from their missions abroad. After killing Xenos in leadership positions the marines of the Adventurer’s Guild will often loot pieces of gear as souvenirs and trophies. Their local Inquisitor and/or Chaplain examines the trophy and either allows it or disallows it to be kept (though the marine is often depicted in artwork with the trophy for the sake of posterity). The Ordo Xenos has found many unique artifacts in this fashion and has lead to more than one incident. These trophies are never functional things like weapons or technology but keepsakes like eldar scalps, orc teeth, Tau clothing, banners used as sashes, Fire warrior ceremonial knives, the claw of a striking scorpion, or things of that nature. They wear these as prizes and they believe that the Emperor will help them claim victory against the foes they take trophies from. Organization Squad Composition A squad of Adventurer’s Guild marines is called a “party” and is designed to be as diverse and well-rounded as possible. * x1 Tactical Sergeant: This is a tactical marine Sergeant who is in charge of the party. They are often armed with a bolter, bolt pistol, and chainsword. They are responsible for communication, strategy, and serve as a switch-hitter. * x1 Assault Marine: Responsible for close combat and have a jump pack. Many are armed with twin chainsword or, if they are more veteran, a power sword and pistol. * x1 Devastator Marine: The firepower and anti-armor responsibilities are delegated to the devastator marine. * x1 Scout: A scout who is assigned to a party is almost always a new trainee who has yet to become a full battle brother. They will often use camo-cloaks and a sniper rifle to provide unexpected surgical strikes. They just as often carry a bolter and serve as a second member of the fireteam with the Sergeant. * x1 Other: Depending on the party, they will either have their company’s Venture Captain, Librarian, Techmarine, Chaplain, a terminator, a veteran, or an apothecary assigned to their party. If the Venture Captain is in the party the Tactical Sergeant is typically their guard and aide-de-camp. Veterans are senior members, typically suited for the 1st Company in other chapters, who act as the Venture Captain’s Lieutenants. While in combat they will often dedicate their own efforts to combat while leaving the Tactical Sergeant in charge of the tactical operation of the party. You may have noted that this means that the number of apothecaries within the Adventurer’s Guild is very high. They are employed in such large numbers because, with the chapter spread across several Rogue Trader fleets, the recovery of the gene seed is difficult. Terminators are employed sparingly as are the Dreadnought that accompany each company. Company Composition Above the party is a company. It is comprised of about 100 marines organized into 20 parties of 5 marines. A company represents all the marines in a Rogue Trader’s fleet and operates self-sufficiently from the chapter. They do not often have any vehicles- simply a razorback transport and perhaps a single piece of armor. A company is overseen by a “Venture Captain” who has a staggering amount of autonomy. Their word is law when it comes to their company and several have been executed for overstepping even these loose boundaries. If a full company is not required, often times the first 5 or first 10 parties will be dispatched and the remainder will be assigned to the 1st or 9th Companies as contingents and overseen by the senior Venture Lieutenant. Each company has: * x1 Venture Captain (Captain) * x1 Librarian * x1 Techmarine * x1 Chaplain * x1 Dreadnought * x5 Terminators * x5 Venture Lieutenants (Veterans) * x5 Apothecaries * x20 Tactical Sergeants * x20 Assault Marines * x20 Devastator Marines * x20 Scouts Parties within a company are arranged like so: * 1st Party: Venture Captain, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 2nd Party: Librarian, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 3rd Party: Techmarine, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 4th Party: Chaplain, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 5th Party: Terminator, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 6th Party: Terminator, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 7th Party: Terminator, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 8th Party: Terminator, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 9th Party: Terminator, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 10th Party: Dreadnought, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 11th Party: Veteran, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 12th Party: Veteran, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 13th Party: Veteran, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 14th Party: Veteran, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 15th Party: Veteran, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 16th Party: Apothecary, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 17th Party: Apothecary, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 18th Party: Apothecary, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 19th Party: Apothecary, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout * 20th Party: Apothecary, Tactical Sergeant, Assault, Devastator, Scout Guild Composition The highest level of organization the Adventurer’s Guild employs is called “The Guild” and is synonymous with the term “Chapter”. While most of the companies are sent out on missions with Rogue Traders, some have specific jobs. 1st Company (Home) * Venture Lord Wells * x20 Parties The 1st Company is home to the Venture Captain and his parties. They are one of the only companies (along with the 9th and 10th) that does not get deployed on Rogue Trader ships. When they do mobilize it is often in support of the 9th Company or for a short term engagements. Unlike most chapters where the 1st Company is the veterans- this is more a logistical and support company, akin to a reserve company. They do have a great deal of vehicles though, triple the normal complement. This is because they lend out vehicles to other companies who request their use. 2nd Company (Veterans) * Venture Captain Fafhrd * x20 Parties The 2nd Company is the most famous and sought after Rogue Trader protection force amongst all the forces of the Space Marines. They are showered with gifts in attempts to earn their favor. They pass this on to the coffers of the Imperium and remain impartial- waiting for their orders to be assigned to their next mission. The gifts they pass on are often given knowing that they will get passed on- a sort of indirect bribe to the official who assigns space marine chapters to Rogue Traders. All of the Tactical Sergeants in this company are replaced with Veteran Sergeants and all of the scouts with Tactical Marines. The Venture Captain of the 2nd or 9th Company often becomes the next Venture Lord. 3rd Company (Active) * Venture Captain Herbert * x20 Parties 4th Company (Active) * Venture Captain Archer * x20 Parties 5th Company (Active) * Venture Captain Mordenkainen * x20 Parties 6th Company (Reserve) * Venture Captain Asimov * x20 Parties 7th Company (Reserve) * Venture Captain Gilgalad * x20 Parties 8th Company (Reserve) * Venture Captain Gulliver * x20 Parties 9th Company (Active) * Venture Captain Mercurio * x20 Parties Informally called the “Mercenary Company”, the 9th Company does not assist Rogue Traders but instead fights in a similar fashion to companies from other chapters. They provide support and boots on the ground for whatever battle needs doing. They have earned great honor for their chapter in their many campaigns. The 9th Company is frequently requested by Ordo Xenos in operations that the Death Watch is not well suited to. The Venture Captain of the 2nd or 9th Company often becomes the next Venture Lord. 10th Company (Reserves) * Venture Captain Senguto * x10 Scout Squads The 10th Company is the reserves and is responsible for the training of all new marines. They rarely deploy on Rogue Trader escort missions but quite regularly act as support for the 9th Company. Leadership The Adventurer’s Guild is run by a council of Captains. While they are lead by a “Venture Lord”, he is seen as more of a “first among equals” rather than an absolute ruler. Internally each Venture Captain has a “share” in their Chapter. They all have 9% and the Venture Lord has 19% and they vote on major issues. The Venture Lord often handles the day-to-day business of the fleet and the Venture Captains can always vote him out of office if he acts too rashly. Captains barter and trade members of their company to each other, working an odd moneyless trade system. As the formula for each company is defined- it cannot be upset by the bartering. When a Venture Captain has died the other Venture Captains decide on the next Venture Captain- a very political game. The new Venture Captain must be approved by at least 51% of the Guild after the Venture Captains decide, but there has never been an instance where that did not happen (it is largely ceremonial- a vote of confidence). The tactical sergeants within each party are given a great deal of authority and promising battle brothers are quickly promoted to these positions by their Venture Captains. These tactical sergeants have a unique position, the rules of The Guild say they cannot be traded or bartered; they must request all transfers. This makes them powerful figures- the Venture Captains place people they trust in those command positions. Despite how competitive this sounds the mindset of the marines fosters a sort of meritocracy where each marine supports their battle brothers in always striving to reach their peak potential. Relationships Deathwatch The Adventurer’s Guild marines commonly serve on the Deathwatch. They consider it a rite of passage and most senior members have served for at least one tour of duty. Unlike other chapters who find the composition of a Kill Team unfamiliar, Adventurer’s Guild marines don’t even notice the switch. Ordo Xenos The Ordo Xenos (Alien Hunters) has the Deathwatch Space Marines as their Chamber Militant. However, the Inquisitors are on excellent terms with the Adventurer’s Guild and often employs their 9th Company. The Adventurer’s Guild, due to their extended mission with the Rogue Traders, encounter aliens more regularly than other chapters and are always willing to lend a hand roasting some xenos scum. Rogue Traders There is a give-and-take relationship between the Rogue Traders and the marines of this chapter. The Rogue Traders rely on the marines to help them but know full well that they are being kept on a shorter leash for the pleasure. They know the Adventurer’s Guild is leaking information to their higher ups- though the marines are up front about this. Try as they might the Rogue Traders have not yet been able to infect the marine’s sense of honor. They seem immune to the effect of their greed but not to their sense of adventure. The Rogue Traders have helped instill an adventurous spirit in the Adventurer's Guild marines. Notable Missions * '''Den of Thieves Incident: '''Three parties of the Adventurer's Guild were lost along with all hands when a Rogue Trader flagship named "The Den of Thieves” took on what it thought to be a cache of rare materials. These turned out to be larval tyranids from Hive Fleet Tarrasque. AGSgt.png|An Adventurer's Guild Tactical Sergeant AGMarineTactical.png|An Adventurer's Guild Tactical Marine Category:Ultramarines Successors